SeatSense by Sensative
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Silver train on a cliffside track above a misty river valley

Real-time seat occupancy, without guesswork.

SeatSense shows rail operators how every seat on every train is used, as it happens. Radar sensors sit above the seats and send live data straight into your own systems.

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SeatSense is in service fleet-wide with London North Eastern Railway (LNER).

Rail operators lack true visibility into passenger occupancy

Knowing how full a train really is, remains a challenge. Most rail operators rely on reservation data or door counters to estimate train loadings, providing only partial data.

Without reliable occupancy data, important commercial and operational decisions are made based on assumptions rather than real passenger behaviour.

Every seat. Live.

We give rail operators the seat-level data they need to price smarter, plan better and fill more trains.

SeatSense was developed in close collaboration with a leading UK operator. That is how we work: close to the customer, always.

One data source, many decisions.

Here are some of the use cases identified so far, across commercial, operations and passenger teams.

Commercial

Demand forecasting and pricingPrice to real demand instead of reservations.
Revenue protectionSee the gap between tickets sold and seats used.

Operations

Capacity and formation planningRun the right number of coaches on the right services.
Cleaning and cateringSend staff and stock to the coaches that were actually used.

Passengers

Live load informationTell passengers which coaches have space before they board.
Reserved and priority seatsCheck that reserved and priority seats are free when they are needed.
Wheelchair spacesKnow whether the space is clear, occupied or blocked by luggage before the train arrives.

Meet SeatSense

SeatSense is a real-time seat occupancy solution, purpose-built for the railway environment.

Compact radar sensors are installed discreetly above the seating area. Each sensor detects whether a seat is occupied and streams this data securely to operator systems in real time.

The result is a live, accurate view of seat usage across coaches and entire trains, giving operators insight into how capacity is truly used.

Retrofit in seconds.

10–20 seconds per seat

A 9-coach AT300 train (~316 sensors) installed in 3–3.5 hours. Train returns to service the same day.

>98%
verified seat-level accuracy
5+ years
battery life
No cables
installed in seconds, trains stay in service
No images
only the seat state leaves the sensor

Every coach, seat by seat.

This is the view SeatSense gives control rooms, revenue teams and passenger information systems. Hover over a coach to see its seats.

Occupied Free

Illustrative data. In service, the map updates as often as every second.

LNER Azuma train arriving at a platform

Proven in live operation

SeatSense is deployed with London North Eastern Railway, where it has been:

  • Tested and verified in live service
  • Rolled out in all seats fleet wide
  • Supporting multiple use cases in live operation
Link to Press Release (opens in a new tab)

Built to fit railway IT.

Live occupancy data flows through open APIs straight into the systems you already use, from revenue management to passenger information. Choose the level of detail, from single seats to whole trains, and how often it updates. The data is yours.

SeatSense radar sensor mounted under the luggage rail above train seats

Typical integrations

  • Open APIs
  • Revenue management systems
  • Passenger information systems
  • Data analytics platforms
  • Operations dashboards

Prism sensor

Accuracy (verified)
>98%
Battery life
5+ years
Installation
Cable-free, trains stay in service
Coverage
Single and dual seats, wheelchair spaces, luggage spaces, bike areas

Certified for rail

EN 50155
Electronic equipment for rolling stock
EN 61373
Shock and vibration
EN 50121-3-2
Electromagnetic compatibility
EN 45545-2* / UL94-V0
Fire protection

*EN 45545-2 testing is not required, as total device mass falls below the testing limits. The material is rated UL94-V0.

Frequently asked questions

What is SeatSense?

SeatSense is a real-time seat occupancy system for railway operators. It shows how every seat on every train is used, as it happens, and feeds that data into revenue management, capacity planning and passenger information. It is hardware and software in one: rail-certified radar sensors, an onboard gateway and the SeatSense Cloud platform.

How does SeatSense detect whether a seat is occupied?

A compact, battery-powered radar sensor is mounted under the luggage rail above each seating area. The radar can tell a passenger sitting in the seat from a bag or coat left on it, so luggage is not counted as an occupied seat. Only the seat state is sent to operator systems, securely and in real time.

Why radar instead of cameras?

Radar detects presence without capturing images, so no pictures of passengers are recorded. Occupancy is reported as a seat state only.

How long does installation take?

Installation takes 10–20 seconds per seat and needs no cables. A 9-coach AT300 train (~316 sensors) is installed in 3–3.5 hours and returns to service the same day.

How is the data integrated into our systems?

Live occupancy data is delivered through open APIs into the systems you already use, such as revenue management, passenger information, analytics platforms and operations dashboards. You choose the level of detail, from single seats to whole trains, and how often it updates. The data is yours.

Which railway standards does SeatSense meet?

The Prism sensor is certified to EN 50155 (electronic equipment for rolling stock), EN 61373 (shock and vibration) and EN 50121-3-2 (electromagnetic compatibility). The material is rated UL94-V0; EN 45545-2 testing is not required as total device mass falls below the testing limits.

Where is SeatSense in use today?

SeatSense is deployed fleet-wide with London North Eastern Railway (LNER), where it has been tested and verified in live service and supports multiple use cases in daily operation.

See SeatSense on your fleet.

Tell us about your network. We will show you what your trains are actually doing, seat by seat.